Rigging for sailing-vessels



(No Model.) 1

W. M. BRISBEN. RIGGING FOR SAILING VESSELS.

No. 469,076. Patented Feb. 16, 1892.

WITNEEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT rion,

WILLIAM M. BRISBEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RIGGING FOR SAILlNG-VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,076, dated February16, 1892. 7 Application filed July 22, 1891. Serial 110400314. (Nomotleli) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. BRISBEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRigging for Sailing-Vessels, of which the following-is a specification.

My invention has relation to sailing-vessels, and has for its object theprovision of certain improvements in the rigging thereof, the same beingdesigned and adapted for use,

' particularly in reefing or shortening sail.

Heretofore vessels of the character above mentioned have had thepeak-blocks permanent-ly secured at the top of the mast to which thesail is attached. The effect of this, as is well known, is that when thevessel is sailing on the wind the leverage exerted on the mast resultingfrom the force of the Wind on the peak of the sail causes the vessel toheel, necessitating, when the wind is high, the shortening of the sailor reefing. While this latter operation reduces the amount of sail areawhich is opposed to the wind, it does not effeet a reduction in theleverage of the mast, because of the location of the peak-block being asaforesaid, such leverage being communicated to the masthead through thepeak-halyards.

My invention consists in securing the peakblock in position in suchmanner that it will be capable of being shifted on or along the mastcorrespondingly with the gafi of the sail in reefing the latter, suchblock occupying a position relatively to the mast-head governed by thenumber of reefs in the sail and the consequent distance of said gafffrom said head, thus reducing by just that much the leverage on the mastand the tendency toward heeling, enabling a vessel so rigged to carry agreater amount of sail in a gale than ordinarily, or, in other words,reducing the amount of leverage on the mast proportionately with thereduction in the amount of sail area.

My invention further consists in the details of construction and thecombinations of parts, as hereinafter fully described, and as.

ments in position for use, showing the sail full; and Fig 2 is a similarview illustrating the sail reefed and the improved rigging in itschanged position. Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations of modifications ofmy invention.

In said drawings, A represents the sail attached to the boom a and thegaff a and se cured to the mast B by the hoops or rings a 0 is thepeak-halyard passing through the blocks 0 c, said blocks being securedto the gaff and said halyard passing through the peak-block c and beingsecured in the usual manner at its lower end. The block 0 is secured tothe eye d of the metallic rod -D, which rod has a similar eye 61 at itslower end, to which latter eye is secured the throatblock 6. Said rod issecured in close and parallel relation with the mast B through themedium of the rings or hoops b b, the latter encircling said mast andpassing through the eyesd cl,

E represents the throat-halyard, secured at one end of the gaff anearthe jaw a thereof, said halyard passing through the block a and beingsecured at its lower end in any convenient or the ordinary manner. I

F is the reeting-halyard, which is secured to the eye d of the rod D,passes over the sheave f, which sheave is secured to the masthead or maybe secured therein, and is secured at its free end to the cleat g on thedeck G of the hull G of the vessel.

Obviously, as the halyard F is slackened, the peak-block 0 by reason ofits being secured to the rod D,willdrop correspondingly, as will alsothe gaff at, producing a slack in the sail A and permitting of its beingshortened, as shown in Fig. 2, through the medium of the nettles a ginwhich condition of the sail the halyards O and E, having also slackenedthrough the dropping of the gaff a, are tautened, bringing the peak toits original position. Thus the peak-block 0 which is the medium throughwhich all the strain on the mast-head is exerted by the peak-halyards,is caused to assume a position below such masthead and between thelatter and the deck of the vessel, reducing the amount of leverage onsaid mast and the tendency toward breaking of the same correspondinglywith the disthe leverage on the mast and the consequent tendency towardveering and being enabled to carry a lighter-spar.

While I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings andhereinbefore described the peak-block and throat-block as being adjustable, such arrangement is not Wholly necessary. In practice the blocklast mentioned may be secured permanently in the proper position to themast, as shown in Fig. 3, there being no strain exerted by thethroat-halyard because of the end of the same being secured to the gaffat a point close to the mast. In such figure the throat-block e issustained by the strap 72?, secured to the mast B, while the peak-blockc issecured. to the ring is, said ring being free to slide on andencircling the rod K, the latter being secured to the mast and havingtherein an offset which per-initsof the unobstructed passage of the ringit around the throat-block h, so that as the peak-halyard ci whichpasses over the sheave f and is. secured to the ring k, is slackened thepeak-block 0 will drop, allowing the peak to do likewise, attaining theend desired. This idea of having the peak-block movable and thethroat-block stationary may be carried out in the manner illustrated inFig. 4, wherein the throat-block m is secured to the strap e on the mastB and the peakblock 0 is secured to a ring which has liberty of verticalmovement on the chain 0, the latter being retained at its lower end bythe ring m whichencircles the mast and may be provided with a hook forreception of the peak-block in the lowermost position of the latter,said chain being suspended on the strap m secured at the mast head, thepeak halyard O in this case passing over the sheave f, and is thensecured to the block 0 affording means for raising and lowering thesame, the ring m sliding on the mast in response to the movements of thegaff of thesail through contact of the throat of said gaff therewith.

What I claim as my invention is as follows: 1. In asailing-vessel, thecombination of the mast, the peak of the sail, and the peak-block, thelatter being adj ustably sustained and ca- 3. In a sailing-vessel, thecombination of the mast, the peak of the sail, the peak-block, a ringorretainer secured to the latter, and a slideway for the ring or retainer,said peakblock being capable of being raised or lowered in accordancewith the height of said peak, for the purpose specified.

4:, In a sailing-vessel, the combinationof the mast, the peak of thesail, the peak-block, a ring or retainer secured'to the latter, aslideway forsaid ring or retainer, a halyard supporting the peak-block,and a sheave or block permanently secured to the mast for the passage ofthe halyard, said peak-block being raised or lowered in accordance withthe height of said peak through the medium of said halyard, for thepurpose specified.

5. In asailing-vessel, the combination of the mast, the peak of thesail, the peakJolock, a ring or retainer secured to the latter, and avertical rod secured to the mast encircled by said ring or retainer,said peak-block being capable of being raised or lowered inaccordancewith the height of said peak, for the purpose'specified.

6. In a'sailing-vessel, the combination of the mast, the peak of thesail, the peak-block, a ring or retainer secured to the latter, avertical rod secured to the mast encircled by said ring or retainer, ahalyard supporting the peak-block, and a sheave or block permanentlysecured to the mast for the passageof the halyard, said peak-block beingraised or lowered in accordance with the height of said peak through themedium of said halyard, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of July,A. D. 1891.

WILLIAM M. BRISBEN. Witnesses:

THEO. O. WARNER, WM. II. POWELL.

